Aberdeen St Albans Train

Sometimes referred to as The Granite City, Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city. Modern day Aberdeen's economy is strongly linked to the oil and gas fields of the North Sea. Traditionally, however, the city was involved in fishing, paper making and shipbuilding. The city has won the annual Britain in Bloom competition a record breaking ten times and also hosts the Aberdeen International Youth Festival which is a major international event which attracts up to 1,000 of the most talented young performing arts companies.

Buildings of note in the city include the Town and County Bank, the Music Hall, the Trinity Hall of the incorporated trades (which is now a shopping mall), the former office of the Northern Assurance Company and the National Bank of Scotland. All of these buildings are located on Union Street.

Situated next to each other are Victoria Park and Westburn Park. Victoria Park opened in 1871 and contains a conservatory used as a seating area and a fountain made of fourteen different granites, presented to the people by the granite polishers and master builders of Aberdeen. Opposite to the north is Westburn Park opened in 1901 which has large grass pitches and is widely used for field sports. There is also a large tennis centre with indoor and outdoor courts, a children's cycle track, play area and a grass boules lawn.

The cathedral city of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, has a long history dating back to Roman times which can be observed in the city's Roman remains and beautiful medieval architecture. The city has open spaces and is surrounded by beautiful countryside and has many attractions to suit all. In addition to the city's national high street shops, there are many small independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. If you are interested in the city's Roman heritage then take a visit to the Verulamium Museum where beautiful objects from the Roman City of Verulamium are displayed. The collection features Roman mosaics and re-created Roman rooms which provide visitors an insight in to the life and times of a Roman city. Remaining with the Roman theme, and just a short walk from the museum, is the Roman Theatre which is the only visible example of its kind in the United Kingdom. Its acoustics were perfectly suited to musical and dramatic performances. Close by are the foundations of a Roman town house, a secret shrine and a row of Roman shops. St Albans railway station is just 20 minutes away from London’s St Pancras International railway station on the First Capital Connect train line.